Goten Wants Two Dads Too
by Varmint
Summary: Tien loves the Son family very much. He loves them so much he's willing to say goodbye when Goku comes back to life; willing to leave Goten to be raised by his actual father. Too bad no one else is willing to let him go. Chi-Chi/Goku, Chi-Chi/Tien, and endgame Chi-Chi/Tien/Goku. Sequel to 'Trunks the Matchmaker! Also mentions of Bulma/Yamcha/Vegeta.
1. Chapter 1

Here's the sequel, as promised!

Enjoy~

~..~..~

The day Goku came back to life was a day Tien cursed.

Things became unbelievably complicated once the halo had disappeared off his head and he stood before them; alive and in the flesh once more. Even though he had been able to speak with Chi-Chi before the saiyan had come to visit, they had not been prepared for the man to come back. And, even though Tien loved his friend dearly, he kind of hated him at the moment.

"Dad? What's wrong?"

The triclops smiled down at the child with the mane of wild hair so reminiscent of his father's that it was impossibly to deny his true heritage. Then he knelt down in front of him and brought him into his arms, hugging him tightly.

Goten was his child.

But he wasn't.

"Nothing at all, Goten."

His left hand was holding onto the back of the boy's head, all the while his right arm had wrapped around his back. Goten was a small child, yet unbelievably strong. Holding him here, though, Tien couldn't feel that strength. He felt like the newborn he had carried in the very hospital room Chi-Chi had given birth in; small, fragile... like someone he needed to protect.

Goku was speaking with Chi-Chi and Gohan at the moment, so he was allowed a quiet moment to revel in his son's presence before he was undoubtedly ripped away from the life he had managed to build.

He had never meant to get so attached to the Son family. He had known that the chances of losing them had been high; he wasn't a fool. The fact was that there was always some big threat- having Goku around or not wouldn't change anything. The world was constantly in peril and they would eventually need him to come back for good. Majin Buu was just another bad guy that had threatened the world- there would be another one some day. There would always be another bad guy looking to destroy the world.

Tien had thought he was prepared for the day Goku came back.

Now he noticed that he had never been prepared for such a thing.

"You look sad."

Goten may have been Goku's son, but he took after Chi-Chi in perception. He was able to point out little things that he found interesting or odd, which was a skill that Goku had needed to develop over time because of his unfortunate hardheadedness.

"I'm a little sad." He admitted, "But you don't have to worry about it. Sometimes, Goten, adults get sad. But that doesn't mean you should worry, alright?"

"I don't want you to be sad." He heard Goten whisper softly, effectively managing to shatter whatever had been left of his weeping heart.

Tien pressed a soft kiss to the boy's forehead before he stood up. He smiled down at the child as reassuringly as he could muster, even though he wanted nothing more than to curse Goku for ripping away the life he had built by simply _returning_. And he grabbed Goten's hand, motioning for him to follow so they could meet up with the rest of the members of the Son family.

The boy looked back up at him dumbfounded, but Tien forced himself to look away from his son.

No.

Not his son.

 _Goku's_ son.

He had always known this was bound to happen.

When they reached the small family, Tien handed Goten off to his mother. He smiled at them all as earnestly as he could- even though he knew his smile was more of a grimace than anything genuine- and excused himself. He knew that they would undoubtedly need some time to going back to being a family.

He made a point to not look at Chi-Chi as he spoke. And he forced himself to try everything possible to not look at her. He knew that if he looked at the woman, he wouldn't be able to control himself. If he did such a thing, he would likely cause a scene. And he didn't want to do that. He didn't want to embarrass himself and he certainly did not want to put the family through such a dishonorable thing.

He bowed politely and turned around before he could lose what little was left of his resolve and left.

Not even halfway back to the farm he had left Chiatzou in charge of, Tien burst out into tears at the loss of the family he had worked so hard to build with Chi-Chi.

* * *

Yamcha and Trunks came to visit him about two weeks after Goku came back to the land of the living. He had a sneaking feeling that Goten had wanted to tag along with them- where Trunks went, Goten was usually not far behind- but he didn't ask why he had not come along. The very thought of his son managed to bring tears to his eyes, so he made a point of _not_ thinking of him whenever others were around.

"Hey, Mr. Tien! Are you finally going to show me that machine gun punch?" The energetic boy called out as he landed a couple of feet away from the sturdy house Tien lived in. "You promised me you would one day!"

Yamcha sighed beside him and scratched the back of his head, "One day isn't today, Trunks. You're here for your punishment. Remember?"

"But I didn't do anything!"

"Your mother said you forgot to clean your room, even when she threatened you. So, no, you didn't do anything. And that's the problem."

Yamcha was such a goofball, Tien had found it difficult to believe he would ever be able to raise a child right. And, in essence, he still hadn't. But Yamcha was more than just Bulma's friend to Trunks and he had a big part in raising the kid. It wasn't unusual to see him enforcing some kind of punishment or rule either of his parents had established. But it _was_ odd to think the usually laid back man could be even marginally strict with Trunks- especially considering how tightly the boy had him wrapped around his fingers.

Chiatzou walked out of the house they both now lived in with a large, empty basket, greeting both of the newcomers as they walked up to their small balcony. Tien merely took amusement from the way Trunks tried to weasel his way out of the punishment his parents had decided to dish out.

It also wasn't out of the ordinary for Bulma to send Trunks up to the farm to help with the harvest as a punishment. He was a mostly good kid, but he had his spurts of impulsiveness that got him in trouble. Especially now that he was in his 'Vegeta stage' and was proving to be a handful by copying most of his father's bad habits.

The only thing that gave Tien hope that Trunks would not grow up to be another Vegeta was the simple fact that he treated Yamcha the same way he had years ago. Even though he scoffed and hissed at everyone else, he still listened to Yamcha as if he were some big sage that knew all of the answers in the universe. And, while it was quite the funny thought, as long as Trunks thought such a thing, he at least had one person he would never disrespect.

While Chiatzou and Trunks got to work on pulling the harvest, Tien and Yamcha busied themselves by preparing the secondary plot of land for the new seeds. Tien liked to give his land some time to rest, so he tried to switch plots every year, just to give the soil a chance to replenish its nutrients.

The work was easy but time consuming. By the time everything had been finished, Trunks was fast asleep on Chiatzou's bed after having eaten a large dinner and he and Yamcha were enjoying small conversation. His best friend was cleaning up the plates from their dinner, giving his own bits of opinions whenever he deemed it necessary.

Tien was lulled into such a calm and peaceful state that he was truly surprised by Yamcha's question.

"They miss you, you know?"

Anger began to bubble up within him, even though he tried his best to suppress the emotion. Getting angry wouldn't do anything for him now. He had already made his choice; he may regret it, but there was no way he could change it.

"Goten asked to come with us today. Chi-Chi was able to talk him out of it by threatening with having him join Trunks in his punishment." Yamcha breathed out as he swirled his cup of water in his hands before he looked up and directly into Tien's eyes. "Goku tells me not one night has passed when he hasn't asked where his dad is."

Tien hated his friend at the moment. He knew what he was trying to do and he hated it.

"Goku is there." He answered through clenched teeth, looking away from Yamcha.

He didn't expect him to understand. But what he had done was for the best. Goten couldn't continue running around thinking that he was his father. Goku was there now. He was ready to take up his rightful place in the Son household. And in that household, there was no space for a triclops that had no true connection to the family... Aside from... No.

 _No_.

"But his dad _isn't_."

Tien frowned heavily at his friend's grave tone.

He didn't have to put up with this. Yamcha may have some idea what it was like to raise a child from birth; but he _didn't_. Not to the extent Tien knew. He also didn't know what it was like to fall in love with the most wonderful woman in the world, even though she was married to one of your greatest friends. He had no idea what it was like to make a real life with someone; just to have a dead old friend come back to life to rip it away from his hands.

"His dad is there." Tien remarked forcefully, emphasizing the finality of his tone by standing up and moving to the kitchen to help Chiatzou finish up.

They didn't speak again. Yamcha left the farm with a slumbering Trunks in his arms after having only said goodbye to Chiatzou. His friend was too angered with him to actually try and speak to him and Tien did not mind at all.

Who did he think he was coming into his home to challenge and question his decisions like he had? It wasn't as if he was doing this to _spite_ anyone! He was keeping his distance from the Son family to protect himself. He knew he wouldn't be able to hold it together if he tried to talk to them now.

* * *

The next person to come question him about his decision was Gohan himself.

Tien didn't hold anything back from him. He may have been young, but Gohan was wise. He understood much more than others might so Tien knew that if he told him the truth, he'd understand his side of the story.

"I can't go back. Your parents need to be together. Goten deserves to have his actual family. And I can't put myself through the agony that will be having to see your mother in the arms of another man while Goten calls another man his father."

Gohan pursed his lips as Tien did his best to keep from allowing the tears in his eyes to fall.

"You love my mom."

"You've known that for a while."

Gohan had been the one to convince him to ask her out.

"You love my brother."

"He's been nothing but my son since the day I first laid eyes on him."

Gohan had been there in the hospital room when Tien had first laid eyes on the boy. He had been the one to recommend his name, but Tien had been the one to confirm that it was a great name. He'd never seen Gohan smile as brightly as he had that day; apparently pleased to have had Tien's consensus on the matter.

"You respect my father."

"Enough to not impose on what is his life."

Tien didn't try to fool himself into thinking that Goku was a bad man. If anything, Goku had too big a heart. He may have been a soft hearted fool, but that was one of his greatest strengths. It could double as his weakness, but that kindness had barely backfired on him in his life.

Gohan frowned at him, "My mom and brother miss you. My dad's lost- he barely knows us anymore... Don't you think you could come back for just a little bit? Just to help get everyone situated?"

Tien smiled sadly at him, "If I go back, Gohan, I don't think I'd be able to stand losing them again. It hurts to know that I'm hurting you... But I can't put myself through that torture."

He was being selfish, he knew. But he at least deserved this, now that Goku would be taking the place he had previously occupied in the Son household.

He was only thinking of himself. It was wrong to be selfish. First he had wanted the Son family to be his own. Now he wanted to stay far away... He was being illogical and rude. But he couldn't stop himself- he couldn't put himself through such pain.

"I understand." Gohan sighed softly, stood up, and walked around the dining room table so he was right beside Tien. "Just know that we all really do love you... If you're able to put yourself through that torture, we'd really appreciate it."

He hugged the man now and Tien instinctively hugged the boy he considered to be another son.

* * *

The third and final person to come to his temporary home to try and convince him to go back to the Son family was someone Tien would never have considered having cared about any of them before.

Vegeta stomped into his home without knocking. He just barged inside with an annoyed scowl on his face and a displeased glimmer in his eyes. Tien had been enjoying a quiet breakfast with Chiatzou until that point and they had both been surprised by the sudden entrance.

"You! Triclops!"

Tien stared at him in complete confusion for a few seconds before he set down his morning tea on his table. "Yes, Vegeta?"

"It's time to get your head out of your ass and go back to that idiot's family!"

Tien glanced over at Chiatzou to make sure that he wasn't the only one seeing Vegeta in their house. His best friend looked over at him for a second with an equally puzzled look on his face, then turned and asked the saiyan, "Would you like anything?"

"For the fool to go back to the idiot before my mate makes my ears bleed with his constant chattering!"

Tien didn't miss the male pronoun utilized to speak about Vegeta's mate. And he was left even further confused by this... Wasn't Bulma the one that was supposed to be considered Vegeta's mate, seeing how she was his wife and all?

"That insolent child will not shut up about missing his pitiful father, even though that idiot Kakarot is already with him! And because he never shuts up about it, my brat doesn't shut up about it!" Vegeta growled as he crossed the rest of the distance between them until he was standing almost a foot away, sneering down at the seated Tien. "My mates are insufferable and cannot leave good enough alone- return to the idiot before I have to do something drastic!"

Now it was mates... the hell?

Vegeta left in a huff at that point, apparently pleased with the threats he had managed to leave Tien with.

Everything was uncomfortably silent after the enraged saiyan had left. Tien could only stare at the spot where he had once stood; completely flabbergasted and somewhat overwhelmed by his angered verbal onslaught.

Chiatzou was the first one to speak up after he had cleared his throat.

"Maybe... Maybe it's time to visit them, Tien."

His best friend had kept mostly quiet about his opinions about the whole situation. He had an intimate understanding of what Tien felt because of their connection. Tien knew that he didn't agree with what he had done because of that connection too. But he was kind enough to allow him time to be alone, rather than try and push him to going back.

The triclops breathed out heavily and hung his head.

Maybe it _was_ time.

..~..~..

And here is the sequel to _Trunks the Matchmaker_. It's a bit more angsty because it's Tien and everybody in here but Vegeta is an idiot (not really, but, you know, he's always right in his mind).

Hope you all liked it! It'll be a short piece like the first story, no more than three chapters.

Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

When Tien arrived at the Son house, it was to immediately be ambushed by Goten in a tight hug that threatened to crush his body. If he had been a normal human, he was sure that his spine would not have been in tact after Goten was done with him. But because he was strong and accustomed to the boy's strength, he was merely left breathless by the crushing hug.

"Dad! You're back! You're back!"

Tien chuckled softly as Goten continued to cheer in pure happiness. He rejoiced in the feeling of having his son in his arms once again; warmth began to spread him like a controlled wildfire that served only to make him happy. How long had it been since he had tried to leave this behind? No more than a month, he was sure... Yet it felt like a whole eternity had passed since he had last seen this boy.

"Hey, Goten." The smile on his lips began to hurt from how far it went. "How've you been?"

"I've been good. I've kept my training up and mom says I'm doing good in my homework and Goku thinks I'm _really_ strong!"

It was odd to hear Goten call his father by his name. But Tien merely chalked that up to not having formed a habit of calling him by his proper name just yet. He had to be patient, though. Goten will eventually call Goku by what he truly was to him.

"So you haven't caused too much trouble?" He asked incredulously, only to have Goten's face become somewhat reddened as he looked down at the floor and away from him.

His smile lowered into a much more manageable size, amused by Goten's antics.

Of course the boy wouldn't be able to stay out of trouble. It just wasn't in his nature to _not_ stir up some kind of trouble. Although he had never been the kind to indulge Goten whenever he did such things, he wasn't about to scold him further. He looked as if he had already gotten enough punishment for having down whatever it was that he had done.

The man placed Goten back onto the floor and patted his head with a small smile, "It's great to see you again, Goten." He looked over at the Son family home, a pang of guilt suddenly hitting him.

He had once lived there. He had once helped repair the things that broke down so Chi-Chi wouldn't have to worry over the place's well being. He had once cooked side-by-side with the woman in the kitchen that had been much too small for the both of them. He had once tucked Goten into his bed after a fulfilling day of training and sharing.

That wasn't his life anymore. He needed to remember that.

Goten pulled him into the house as if there was nothing wrong; as if this were just another normal day in which Tien returned from tending to the fields out back and they were about to share a meal together.

Once he was inside, it was to find Gohan standing by the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and a small frown on his lips. He heard Goten chuckle nervously and immediately Tien understood what had happened.

"Okay, Goten. Time to go back to your studies."

"But you just got back, dad!"

Tien ruffled his hair but then pointed a stern finger at the living room, where there were books and papers waiting for the child. "Studies come before fun, Goten. You know that. Do you think your mother would appreciate you having skipped out on your lessons?"

Goten looked up at him with wide and pleading eyes, almost making Tien feel bad. But he knew that technique; unfortunately, it seemed that Yamcha had passed this trait onto more than just one child. "March, young man."

He huffed but soon smiled, "Only if you promise to stay!"

Tien was left stricken by the deal.

Luckily enough, Gohan was there to help him out, "Come on, Goten. Tien's just come back, let's not bother him too much."

Goten groaned dramatically but soon allowed his brother to lead him away from the entrance into the house and into the living room. Before they were completely gone, Tien was able to see Gohan send him one apologetic look. But the teenager soon turned away from him and focused all of his attention on giving Goten his daily lessons.

Tien shuffled his feet awkwardly for a moment in the doorway. Then he breathed out, raised his head to try and fill himself with confidence he didn't feel, and braved the journey into Chi-Chi's room. He knew she was in there, just like Goku, and he was really not looking forward to having to speak to either of them. But he needed to give them closure so they could, in turn, give it to Goten.

He stood outside of the room's door for a couple of seconds as he tried to collect his thoughts.

It opened and he was pulled inside harshly before he could think of more than just a simple 'Hi'.

If there had been one thing he had expected to find when he finally gained enough resolve to knock on Chi-Chi's door, it was Goku and her speaking about something or another. So, really, there was no reason to feel surprised when he wound up face-to-face with the very two people he had known would be in there. But he was still caught completely off guard, especially with the way Goku had pulled him in like some sort of rag doll.

"Thank Kami you're here!"

The hug he was subsequently pulled into after the sudden shout had also not been expected. But he didn't pull away from it, much too stunned from how tightly Goku was hugging him.

"You're not allowed to leave again, Tien- you hear me? Never again!"

It seemed that Tien had not been prepared for anything the Son family had prepared- he just continued to get surprised and stunned the more time he spent in the home.

From over Goku's shoulder, Tien was able to see Chi-Chi. And he wasn't able to stop himself from blushing brightly at the fond smile he found on her beautiful face.

"Uh... Hi?"

"Hello, Tien."

He was doomed.

* * *

He had no idea what his initial plan for going to the Son family was. He actually had not thought too far ahead before he had gone to visit them. This was very unlike him, but, well, he had just thought maybe he'd be able to get in and get out before he wound up too hurt by what he experienced. He had hoped he'd be able to talk to Chi-Chi, make it clear that he didn't want to be part of the family again, and then leave before she could make him pay for making them go through such pain.

So, if that had been his plan... Why in the world was he currently helping Chi-Chi cook dinner while Goku and Gohan entertained Goten out in the living room?

Even with the time that had passed since he last spoke with any of them, working with Chi-Chi in the kitchen was as easy as it had been for the past few years. They moved around each other without even needing to communicate; both completely aware of what the other was doing and how to react without impeding in their space.

Delicious smells began to fill up the kitchen within them being in there for less than five minutes.

Tien had missed this. He really had.

But he couldn't allow himself to hope that he could come back to this. He wasn't a masochist- he couldn't bear the thought of living under the same roof as the woman he loved and the man she loved.

"So, done anything exciting?" Chi-Chi questioned when they were finally able to take a break from the prepping, all of the pots they were using already filled and on their way to being cooked.

"Not really, no." He answered softly, wiping his hands on the kitchen towel.

He could hear Goten giggling out in the living room, squeal of 'higher!' interrupting every now and again. Goku's goofy laughter accompanied the child's own, and Gohan's much more subdued chuckles could be heard from time to time.

They were a true family.

Just why in the world did they even want him around? They clearly had figured out what had been wrong with them.

For a moment, Chi-Chi sighed. Then she looked over at him and glared. "I hope you know that you're an idiotic fool and you are on _extremely_ thin ice with me right now."

Tien had expected this. But he hadn't. So he blinked at her in stupefaction and took one step back as he raised his hands up in defense.

"We both knew this would happen eventually. We even agreed that it'd best I left if Goku came back." He reminded her, only to wind up wincing when her glare became even more intense.

"I didn't think you'd leave so suddenly! I thought you would stick around for a day or two, just to give us a chance to get accustomed to change... Tien, you made my son cry."

"And I feel horrible for it." He answered earnestly, "But you have to understand why I left."

Chi-Chi continued to glare at him for a few more seconds. Then she breathed out and nodded, closing her eyes to turn away from him. "Of course I understand. I've never been in love with my dead best friend's wife, but I know it must be tough."

That was an understatement.

But Tien wasn't about to try to actually explain it to the woman. She had some understanding and wasn't judging him too badly- at least she wasn't calling him out on being selfish.

A tense silence crashed over at this point, making Tien look away from Chi-Chi awkwardly.

There were still things they needed to clear up between them before they could get on with their lives; he _knew_ that. But he couldn't bring himself to talk about them. How could he when the true love of Chi-Chi's was currently a handful of feet away from them, playing with _their_ children?

"Goten wants you to stay the night."

Tien knew that.

Chi-Chi didn't need him to answer; she was also aware that he was aware.

"You still have things left here in the house. You wouldn't even have to fly away to get anything."

Tien breathed in to ground himself; closed his eyes to try and find some solace in darkness. "Would you like me to stay?"

She didn't answer immediately.

His heart squeezed uncomfortably.

"Yes."

Once again, his heart squeezed.

He wasn't sure what was worse: the hope of being rejected or the hope of being accepted.

"Alright." He sighed, "I'll stay."

He chanced a look at her and immediately regretted it.

Chi-Chi's smile had always been breathtaking. But this one... This small, somewhat saddened, yet completely _honest_ smile knocked all of the air out of his lungs without a single effort.

She was beautiful.

He wanted her to be his.

She'd never be his.

* * *

Goten convinced him to stay in his room that night. He had been prepared to take the couch and wake up with his back all messed up. But the boy insisted that he wanted his father to sleep with him.

Tien didn't miss the sad glint in Goku's eyes as he tried to keep a smile on his face while Goten called another man his father.

He should have felt some kind of happiness for causing Goku _some_ kind of pain. The saiyan deserved it, after all. He'd crashed back into their lives like a storming bull in a china shop, shattering everything they had once known. But he didn't feel happy. If anything, he felt _bad_. He felt guilty over having taken Goku's space in the household. He almost felt even _shameful_ for having tried to usurp control from Goku... He hadn't meant to, but it was, in essence, what he had tried.

Goten's bed wasn't all that big. So he had expected to wind up sleeping on the floor. Goten insisted on pushing him onto the bed, where a good quarter of his legs didn't fit and he felt as if he was in danger of always falling off the edge, before he could get comfortable on the floor.

The young boy jumped into his arms and made himself comfortable on his chest without even waiting for Tien to confirm if he was comfortable or not.

"Can't leave if you've got me on you, dad." Goten smiled broadly, as if his plan was too perfect to actually fail.

Tien's heart clenched uncomfortably once again. But he didn't dare dampen Goten's great mood. So he raised his hand to pat at his head, ruffled his wild hair, and murmured, "Guess you've got it all figured out, huh, Goten?"

"Yup!" He smiled broadly up at him, "Now that you're back, you'll be able to be my dad again. You, mom, and Goku'll all be happy!"

Ah, the innocence of childhood... Tien wished Goten would stay like this forever. He wished to keep him from ever getting tainted with the surliness that was reality. He wanted nothing more in his life than to keep Goten safe from all the evil in the world; to only let him know the good and live every day as if there was nothing wrong with the world they lived in.

He wasn't a fool though; he knew that Goten would eventually find out just how bad the world could get. Hopefully, he'd be able to see how good it could get at the same time. Hopefully, he wouldn't ever have to deal with disillusionment in life. Realistically, he eventually would.

He didn't tell the young boy that he had plans to leave again when morning came. He didn't tell him everything would be alright, either. Instead, he just offered the boy one final tight hug before running his large hand over his bright eyes.

"Time to go to sleep."

He pouted.

Tien smiled.

Goten was out like a light in less than five minutes.

Tien didn't sleep that night. Instead, he just watched his young son sleep peacefully. Soft, barely perceptible snores came from his ajar mouth, filling up the night's silence with the quiet rhythm.

Whenever Goten would move, Tien found himself having to catch him before he fell out off the bed. Eventually, he decided that it might be for the best to put Goten in his proper place and leave the room. So he tucked the boy in, pressed a lingering kiss to the boy's forehead, and left the room with a heavy heart.

He walked in on Goku grabbing some water from the kitchen.

The saiyan blinked at him as he served his water. Tien stared back, suddenly feeling extremely uncomfortable.

Eventually, Goku cleared his throat and smiled softly. "Fancy seeing you here."

Tien nodded stiffly but didn't say anything.

They stood there in silence for a couple more minutes.

Goku was the one to break it yet again.

"Listen, I'm sorry about all of this... I never meant to hurt you."

 _Hurt me?_

Tien shook his head.

"Goku, I don't really care about that." He admitted, "I just want Chi-Chi, Gohan, and Goten to be happy. If that's with me... It's okay... If it isn't..."

"It's _not_ okay."

Goku was suddenly standing in front of him, looking down at him with dozens of emotions swimming within his dark eyes.

He had known Goku when he had been incredibly small... He was a man now, with a family he'd tried to take over.

Damn.

He was selfish.

"I know you love my wife."

Tien took an instinctive step back, "Nothing is happening between us, Goku. You're back-"

Goku's hand didn't allow him to go too far. It struck out to grab onto his left forearm and latched onto it with a tight grip. It wasn't harsh, though. It was a grab that was meant to halt Tien's retreat, but it wasn't meant to scare him.

"How?" Tien demanded and Goku had the decency to blush and look somewhat ashamed.

"When I was dead, I could look in on whoever I wanted to... I trained a lot, but sometimes I just wanted to take a break." He explained, looking down at Tien's arm with an almost sad look in his eyes. "You love Chi-Chi. You gave her time to heal after I was dead. You helped raised my son... Tien, you're so important to _all_ of us... When you left-"

Tien frowned and tried to step away, only for Goku's hand to follow him. Damn saiyan. "I left because it wasn't my place to be here."

Goku frowned immediately and followed after him.

With every step Goku took forward, Tien took one back. Eventually, though, there was nowhere else to go and Tien found himself boxed in between a wall and a rather worried looking Goku.

"Tien... _This_ is your home."

His visit to the Son household was filled with complications and wrenches thrown into his plans.

The biggest wrench, though, came in the form of Goku pressing their lips together in a passionate yet chaste kiss.

He should have just stayed away.

..~..~..

Next chapter is last chapter!

Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Tien moved almost as soon as his lips came into contact with Goku's own. He raised his hands up to the saiyan's shoulders and tried to push him back.

Goku didn't budge the first time.

His face began to turn an uncomfortable shade of red as Goku's firm lips moved against his own. His mind blanked completely, as if suddenly losing its ability to think. All Tien could properly do for a moment was stand there, with his hands on Goku's shoulders, and his face steadily becoming much too hot and red to bear.

It took three sturdy pushes to get the saiyan to react.

Tien breathed deeply in relief when those insistent lips finally left his own, although he suddenly became incredibly aware of the fact that Goku could see just how extremely _red_ his face had suddenly become.

"Tien? Are you okay?"

He _couldn't_ help it; Tien was at a complete loss for words. Was Goku really dense enough to _not_ connect the sudden kiss with how embarrassed he suddenly felt? There was no way he couldn't make the connection. Goku could be ignorant and he could be oblivious. But he couldn't be _this_ ignorant. Not to this unbearably _unbelievable_ level.

"What do you think you're doing?!" The heated hiss left him before he could truly stop it. But, once it was out, Tien didn't regret it. He didn't understand just what it was that was going through Goku's mind, but he certainly didn't appreciate it.

"Kissing you. I thought that was obvious..." Goku blinked, looking so _completely confused_ that Tien didn't know how to take it. Then determination filled his eyes again and he began to inch his face forward once again. "Here, let me try again."

Tien slapped his hand onto Goku's mouth, covering the lower half of his face, before he could get too close. The triclops breathed in deeply to try and cool the burning that had overcome his face, even though he knew it would take some time _away_ from Goku to be able to get all of the red to leave his face. He closed his eyes, trying to find some peace of mind to try and figure out what was happening.

His great mind was only able to come up with one thing. And that was a whole load of nothing.

"Goku."

"Hmm?"

" _Why_ did you kiss me?"

He opened his eyes, knowing he ran the risk of meeting Goku's gaze just then. But he had to. He needed to be able to look the man in the eyes to try and understand just what in the world was going on.

Goku stared at him with wide, innocent eyes. Then he moved his head back, away from Tien's hand, and Tien didn't try and stop him. He wanted answers, after all, and he wouldn't get any of them if Goku had his mouth covered. Although he did leave his hand hovering between them, prepared just in case the oaf tried anything of the like again.

"Because I want to love you."

Goku was an idiot.

Tien wasn't sure why he expected more.

"You're insane." He remarked, suddenly forgetting about the heat in his face. All he could properly concentrate on was the fact that Goku seemed to honestly have no idea just what in the world might have been wrong with what he was saying; what he had done. "You have a wife."

"Whom you love very much."

Tien winced at the bluntly stated fact. He wasn't sure if Goku was pointing it out to hurt him, but it was certainly working on that end. Tien didn't like the idea of being called out on falling in love with his friend's wife. It didn't _feel_ like Goku was calling him out on it, though... It felt more like he was simply stating an extremely obvious fact.

Didn't make Tien feel any less irritated, though.

"Cheating is wrong, Goku. What Chi-Chi and I did... It was before you were back. You don't have to make a point of what-"

"You two weren't cheating. I was dead." Goku smiled broadly now, managing to stun Tien enough to silence abruptly. "I wasn't supposed to come back, so it would've been really unfair to think that Chi-Chi would wait for me... Listen, Tien... I want to thank you. I know that Chi-Chi isn't the most easiest person to hang around with and it takes a really strong man to raise another man's child..." Goku's eyes were looking down at the floor, but Tien could see genuine gratitude hidden within. " _Thank you_."

Tien blinked in stupefaction at Goku, unable to really formulate any words.

He'd lost all control of this conversation. First Goku had humiliated and angered him with that damned kiss. But now he was making him feel flustered once again, but for all the right reasons.

Goku wasn't always humble. He wasn't always the kind that enjoyed thinking over acting. For him to truly contemplate a situation and then voice out those contemplations, it must have been something really important. And, honestly, being thanked for all of his hard work by the very man that had forced him away from the family he had created... It didn't feel as condescending and _fake_ as it should have.

The saiyan remained looking down at the floor for a couple more seconds of silence. The triclops, much too stunned to properly form a sentence, continued to stare at him in wordless confusion.

Then Goku looked up at him and smiled softly, "Please be part of the family again." He took a step forward, lifting his hand up to the one Tien still held in the middle of the air and grasped onto it with a gentle hold, as if holding a butterfly. "Chi-Chi loves you _so much_. I've never seen her cry as much as she did when you left without a single explanation."

Feeling Goku's almost nonexistent touch was something Tien would never have expected before in his life. Ever since he had met the saiyan, there had been only one truth to Son Goku: He was an amazing fighter. He had a brutal nature in his fighting that didn't really make one think of possible care and softness... Although... Goku had always been a gentle soul; even with his techniques.

"It's not fair that you had to leave her because I came back. It's not fair that I should get her back just because I came back... You raised Goten as if he were your own son, Tien. You deserve more than you think."

Goku stepped forward again.

Tien didn't have enough room to try and leave.

"Please, stay with us. Love Chi-Chi; I won't mind... Just... Love me too."

There was no doubt in Tien's mind that Goku wasn't trying to trick him into anything. Goku wasn't malicious enough to do such thing. He wasn't the kind to do anything mean, much less anything mean to an old friend. Especially not something that would affect said old friend in an emotionally traumatizing manner.

It was still hard to believe this was actually happening, though.

"Goku..." Tien sighed, moving his head so he would look away from the saiyan in front of him and towards the wall beside him. "I'm in love with Chi-Chi... Not you... I don't know how you think love works, but-"

"You can learn to love someone- just like I did!" He was suddenly in Tien's face again, smiling broadly as he moved to meet his eyes. "I didn't love Chi-Chi like I do now when we got married..." He admitted sheepishly, chuckling softly for a moment, "But I learned how I'm supposed to love her! It's really easy, promise! And I'm sure it's even easier to learn to love someone you already consider a great friend!"

Goku... He had always been so simple and abnormal... Tien wasn't sure just why he was surprised by what he was hearing. This really seemed to be right up Goku's alley of weird things only he was able to understand and rationalize.

Tien wanted to point out that he wouldn't necessarily fall in love with Goku just because he had kissed him.

But then a selfish thought struck him: If he agreed to this, he could be with Chi-Chi again.

What kind of horrible person was he if he actually thought this would be a good idea? What kind of horrible friend could he to actually agree to something he _knew_ would only end up in heartbreak?

He was a selfish kind of horrible friend.

The idea actually seemed rather worthwhile, if only to have Chi-Chi by his side for a bit longer.

"That wouldn't be fair to you, Goku." Tien sighed as he took back his hand and looked away from the saiyan. He didn't want to look the pained expression that would undoubtedly cover his face any second now. "The person I love is Chi-Chi. And it isn't right for me to agree to something like this when I only expect to continue loving her... It's not fair; to either of you."

He would have left right then if he hadn't found himself completely boxed in by the behemoth of a person that was Goku. Instead of leaving, he was forced to endure further heartbreak by having Goku's arms suddenly wrap around him to pull him close.

"Please... Tien..."

 _Dammit, Goku_.

He was caught between a rock and a hard place of his selfishness. Either he wallowed in his own self-pity and demanded Goku to release him so he could leave and lever look back. _Or_ he could give in to the horrible voice in his head that begged him to string Goku along just for the chance to love Chi-Chi openly and without too much fear once again.

"I wouldn't be asking this of you if I didn't think it'd be a good idea."

That broke him.

Tien sighed and allowed his head to fall onto Goku's sturdy shoulder.

"Fine..."

"What? Really?!" He gasped, only for Tien to have all of his breath crushed out of him by a tight hug. "That's awesome! Now all that's left is to convince Chi-Chi!"

Tien couldn't help but freeze as soon as he heard the cheer.

Then he sighed and allowed Goku to hold him up.

... _Of course_ Goku didn't have Chi-Chi's consent for this insane idea yet. Why would he? She was a smart woman with more than just half a functioning brain. She would have undoubtedly attacked Goku with a frying pan as soon as he dared ask her such a thing.

"We'll ask her during the morning, though. She hates getting woken up during the night.

Tien shook his head and allowed Goku to drag him back into kitchen.

"Let's make a game plan!"

He couldn't believe he had allowed this.

* * *

He felt like an idiot. His face was a flaming red and his palms were sweaty and uncomfortable.

Goku, on the other hand, was completely happy and seemed to be even more confident with his plan now that he had told Tien everything they would need to do to convince Chi-Chi. He was smiling like a complete fool and Tien still couldn't understand just how it was that he always seemed so happy. Did he not have a single doubt about Chi-Chi agreeing to this? Did he actually think she would say yes as soon as he offered the idea?

"Good morning, Chi-Chi!"

"Good morning."

Goku had boundless energy because he was so confident in their plan. Tien was a bit less enthusiastic about the greeting, seeing how he was pretty sure the day would end with him getting thrown out of the Son home for good.

Chi-Chi stared at both of them through widened eyes for a split second before she raised the covers over her body so they covered everything and neither of them were able to see more than just her head.

"What do you two think you're doing!? Goku!" She glared at the man who was not affected at all. He continued to walk towards her with the tray of food Tien had prepared for her with a dopey smile on his face. "What're you doing?"

Tien shuffled awkwardly behind the saiyan, completely sure that this little plan Goku had managed to come up with was only going to end up in disaster. He knew Chi-Chi; he knew that this wasn't the kind of woman that would _ever_ allow herself to be pushed or jerked around by _anyone_ \- lover or not. She was respectable and smart- just why in the world did he ever allow himself to hope that this be a good idea?

"We're bringing you breakfast, of course." Goku settled the train over Chi-Chi's body even though the woman was glaring at him with such a cold and annoyed look that Tien couldn't believe the saiyan didn't back off.

But, this was Goku... He wasn't _completely_ taken aback by the fact that he, himself, was not deterred.

"Is that why I smell smoke?"

Tien blinked in confusion at the question... Out of all the things she could have been annoyed by, she chose to point out the minimal smoke that had taken over the kitchen for a few seconds before he'd managed to control the fire Goku had accidentally set? Was she not going to point out how Tien was accompanying Goku into their marital bedroom, even though she was only in her nightwear and certainly not dressed in appropriate clothes for any visitor that wasn't intimate family?

Goku chuckled nervously as he scratched at the back of his head, allowing a small giggle out after the chuckles, and then shrugged. "I was trying to make you breakfast, Chi-Chi... I kind of set a small fire, though, trying to make the eggs..."

Chi-Chi shook her head in clear frustration and Goku immediately smiled over at Tien. "Tien came in to save the day, though, and he saved everything without even breaking a sweat! It was pretty great seeing him in action!"

Tien continued to shuffle awkwardly in the doorway, feeling even more uncomfortable at the praise he was receiving. Seeing how it was from Goku, he knew that it was honest. But it still felt like what he had done hadn't even been all that great... He'd dealt with bigger fires than what Goku had set plenty of times before without 'breaking a sweat' either.

"Yeah, he tends to be pretty great."

The blush that came over his face was one he could not stop. And Tien noticed, right then and there, that his love for Chi-Chi was just plain old dumb at this point. He loved her too much to let her go that he was even thinking of sharing her with another man... What was wrong with him?

Sighing softly, Tien began to wonder if there was any way he would be able to fly off while Goku and Chi-Chi were busy with each other so he could get away from this awkward situation... Unfortunately, he was sure that, even if he somehow managed to get out of the Son household, Goku would be able to catch up with him in a heartbeat and convince him to come back.

Goku, even for his more oblivious nature, had a way with words that didn't make much sense to Tien. He wasn't some great orator that utilized big words to make people understand him. He used small words. But he was so earnest and _honest_ whenever he spoke that it was difficult to try and debate against him.

"So, Tien, are you going to come in? Or are you just going to stand there?" Chi-Chi finally called after a few seconds, making Tien freeze for a moment before he nodded stiffly and mechanically walked into the room. "Are you going to eat? Or did you already eat?"

"I already kind of ate most of my breakfast." Goku admitted as Tien moved to stand a couple of feet behind him. "Tien ate too; oh, and Gohan and Goten already ate too."

Chi-Chi quirked an eyebrow at Tien, as if seeking silent confirmation. The man nodded, making her own chin lift just slightly in a subtle nod of her own.

Tien released a large exhale of breath he had not even noticed he had been keeping inside.

"So you made all of this for me?"

"Mm-hmm! Unless you'd like to share a bit with me?" Goku prodded, which made Chi-Chi mutter a soft 'unbelievable' before she offered him a bit of her eggs.

Goku smiled broadly at the offered food and proceeded to gobble it up in only a couple of seconds. Once he had swallowed, he smiled at his wife and thanked her, then turned to Tien, "Man, you _are_ a great cook! I've been missing out!"

It seemed that his face would just remain a perpetual shade of red from now on... Chi-Chi had been the only person to ever make him blush like this until last night. Now Goku also held this horrible power... They would be the death of him. There was no doubt about this.

"Thanks... But It's nothing too big... Just a normal breakfast..." Tien shrugged softly, then looked over at Chi-Chi.

Her eyes were shifting from him to Goku and back with her eyebrows narrowed and her lips pursed. Tien felt his heart squeeze as soon as her eyes fell on him yet again, a glint of recognition suddenly filling them.

"Goku?"

"Yeah?"

Tien wondered if there was any possibility he could be struck dead right then and there before he heard Chi-Chi yelling at him to get the hell out of her home and to never even _think_ of her children ever again.

She knew something.

Chi-Chi _knew_.

He should have known she would be able to figure out that there was something off as soon as they entered the room! They had been around each other for so long that they could read one another like _books_!

He should have been less obvious. He should have been more careful. He should never have agreed to Goku's stupid plan because he had always known that it would end up in a huge failure.

He was an idiot.

"Did you ever get around to talking to Vegeta about that thing I told you about?"

Tien and Goku both blinked at the woman in complete confusion. Tien blinked because he had honestly expected the woman to ask her husband to kick the crap out of Tien- even though he was pretty sure Goku would never do something like that to an old friend. Goku blinked because he honestly could not remember her having asked such a thing of him.

"What do you mean? What thing?"

Chi-Chi sighed and shook her head, "Saiyan mates, Goku... I told you to talk with him about this after Bulma told me about how they run their marriage."

"Oh!" Goku gasped, "Oh, no, I never got around to doing that. Last time I went to try and talk to him, Yamcha told me that he was too busy to be bothered. Although I _did_ get to spend a day learning how to play baseball with Trunks and Yamcha!"

Only Goku would be able to get sidetracked so badly...

Chi-Chi sighed fondly as she raised her hand to pat Goku's head softly. "Honey, I wanted you to talk to him so you could learn a bit more about saiyan customs and how they used to see married life."

"Why? I thought you didn't care all that much about my saiyan heritage, Chi-Chi..."

The woman shrugged minutely, then looked over at Tien. "Tell me something, Tien."

Oh no.

Here it came.

"What did my husband convince you to do this morning that has you as red as a tomato that's been left out in the sun getting a tan?"

He didn't want to answer.

Unfortunately, Goku had no problem speaking up for him.

"Oh, I got him to help me convince you that we could all be together! You know, like a couple."

Tien could already imagine Chi-Chi's screams of death as she prepared to knock Goku upside the head for even thinking of such an unrespectable idea.

The shouting never came.

"You would have known, Goku, if you had bothered talking to Vegeta, that I have no problem with such a thing."

"Huh?" Both he and Goku chorused, staring at her as if she'd suddenly sprouted two heads.

Chi-Chi smiled smugly as she picked up her chopsticks and began to munch happily on her food.

"Well, seeing how neither of you are aware of this, I'll be nice and explain a couple of things." She said after she had finished swallowing her first bite, then lowered her hands onto the tray in front of her. "First of all, apparently, it's completely normal for saiyans to have more than one lover. Bulma says that Vegeta uses the term 'mate' but that just sounds crass, so we have chosen a much more appropriate term. It was normal for warriors to have various wives because it would help them have more children."

Tien's brows furrowed at the information, but he didn't interrupt the woman. He was much too busy finally connecting dots he hadn't even noticed until right now.

Vegeta talking about his 'mates'... That meant that he had more than just Bulma. And the fact that Chi-Chi was talking about this in such an unbothered manner meant that Bulma was more than just fine with the accommodations.

"Even though the more than one mate thing was once to have as much children as possible, it apparently evolved for most warriors to more than just that. Innately, they are capable of forming attachments to more than one person- so, naturally, they're predisposed to having more than one lover. Vegeta and Bulma are mates, but there is a third."

Yamcha.

Tien gasped now that he finally understood why it was that his friend was so insistent on getting him to go back to the Son family. Undoubtedly, he and Vegeta thought that his situation wasn't that different from their own.

"Really? Do we know the third mate?"

"Yes you do." Chi-Chi shook her head, though, and continued, "Now, when Bulma told me about this, I wondered why she would be telling me such a thing. Then she told me that, even though it didn't seem like the most ideal solution, maybe we could come to a sort of similar compromise..." Now she bit her lips and looked over at Tien, "Maybe we could all be lovers too?"

So... Chi-Chi had been on board with the idea even _before_ Goku had thought of this plan?

"So you're okay with it?"

"I am honestly kind of bothered that you came up with this without even hearing any of this from Vegeta," The woman chided quickly, but soon sighed and nodded, "But, yes... And it would be for the best, I think. I love both of you too much to want to let either of you go."

She loved him...

Chi-Chi had just admitted that she loved him...

Yup, the blush would be a perpetual feature on his face from now on, it seemed... At least as long as he was around these two when they were together.

"So... You want to try it out? All three of us... Together?" He prodded, quietly hoping that he wasn't making this up and that it was reality.

"I do. I really do."

Tien smiled and Goku pressed a heavy kiss on her lips that made her giggle happily. Then, in quick succession, the saiyan swiveled towards Tien, pulled him in with less restraint than he had grabbed Chi-Chi, and kissed him deeply as well.

Tien stood stiffly throughout the kiss and remained wide eyed even after it had ended.

He heard Chi-Chi hum from the side and, when he looked at her, he knew that he was in too deep to ever possibly try and back out... Not that he would want to, though.

"That'll take some getting used to... But I kind of like it."

"I do too! Now, let's go tell the boys the good news!"

"Wait, Goku!"

He was gone before either he or Chi-Chi could stop him.

Tien stared after the running man for a couple of seconds before he shook his head and looked back at Chi-Chi. She was looking at him with contemplative eyes. Then, once she saw him looking, she smiled.

"I hope you're prepared for Goten's cheers. They won't stop until he winds up knocked out from lack of sleep."

There was an ecstatic shout from outside and Tien immediately recognized it as Goten's.

"I'm not... But I'm sure we can deal with it. Together."

"Together."

Goten flew in with such force that he managed to knock Tien over. As the triclops lay on his back with a bouncing boy on his chest, Gohan and Goku followed into the room.

"Yay! Yay! Dad's here to stay for good! Awesome!"

Tien couldn't help but agree as he looked at both Chi-Chi and Goku... It would take some time to get used to each other, he knew... But Goten was right. This was pretty awesome.

~..~..~

I hope you all liked this! I know it took me a bit of time, but I finally finished this!

Please remember to review and tell me what you thought!


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